Bradley Has Helped Fans Understand Potential Effects of Boxing

Published

11 years ago

October 10, 2013

“I wanted to prove to the people that hey, I am a real champion…that I can fight, that I can bring the house down, and I can go through – I can weather any storm and come out on top.” – Timothy Bradley

There was no doubt to anyone watching the fight between Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov, that it was a brutal one. Starting early in round one, we saw Bradley sustain brutal hits to the head and the classic signs of someone who has sustained head trauma – he loses his balance, his legs seem not to hold well for him, and from the outside we can only assume the symptoms he was also struggling with from within – blurred vision, dizziness, confusion, or nausea…not to mention the pain.

If you watch boxing, this is nothing new, but the level of head trauma might not be something we’ve seen for quite some time. His level of resilience was truly staggering.

We watched round after round until the very end. In the final round, it seemed inevitable that Bradley (pictured above, at Wednesday press conference, in Chris Farina-Top Rank photo)would finally stay down on the mat, but he stood up to win it. It was a triumph of spirit over the body, but let us not forget the very dangerous and possibly permanent types of injuries he likely sustained in his quest. He said he had something to prove, that people called him a “fake champion,” but you wonder whether he proved it through his ability to sustain injury, or if this point may have been better proved by boxing a smarter match – improving defensive skills, and allowing himself a potentially longer career.

Soon after the fight, Timothy Bradley went into an ambulance and was taken to a local hospital for examination. The numerous comments on this from YouTube and other social media were interesting to read: Some individuals commended him on his toughness, others were calling him weak for going to the hospital. Given the amount of impact and trauma to the head, it was an essential that Bradley go to a hospital for evaluation…and his words in the later interview with Max Kellerman on HBO’s “Face Off” show the very real effects, and lack of understanding around head trauma that still exists in much of the boxing world.

When Kellerman asked Bradley about the effects after the fight, he seemed almost shocked at the candid response of Bradley, who stated, ”A few weeks after the fight I was still affected…my speech was a little bit off and I was slurring a bit after about two months, I got my speech back.” It was interesting to me to watch Kellerman make the very real connection – this is brain trauma.

It was commendable that Juan Marquez took the high road, and when asked his thoughts on Bradley, spoke only of his own training and Bradley’s toughness. He likely realizes well that boxing takes a very human toll, and one that if truly understood, might make more fans understand the real sacrifices many of these athletes will endure when they are no longer in the ring or in the public eye.

The truth of it, is that the worst effects of multiple concussions often aren’t always immediately obvious, and many people are not aware of the seriousness that concussions are in and of themselves. Concussions are considered in the scientific community to be a type of mild traumatic brain injury that actually changes the way that brain cells function…and they have little to do with weakness. Concussions occur because the brain, which floats in cerebrospinal fluid, is literally sloshed against the skull when an impact happens or the head is suddenly jolted in some way. You can see how boxing is primed for these types of injuries. Concussions effect both immediate functioning, but also certainly have the great potential for long-term consequences particularly for boxers as individuals often gather many of them over the course of a career.

A condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a more common long-term consequence in boxing than many realize. CTE is has been linked to professions that sustain multiple concussions that occur over the lifespan. It’s a particular type of brain damage that is linked to later memory loss, dementia, and deep struggles with depression. You don’t see CTE immediately, and the stories I have heard are devastating. I remember hearing testimony of Dr. Ann McKee where she described a 40 year old retired NFL player who couldn’t even go grocery shopping on his own, or remember which movies he had watched. It doesn’t always happen at 40, or 50…but whenever it strikes, it is equally tragic, robbing individuals of what would otherwise be a normal stride into older age.

While the Bradley vs. Provodnikov fight was an incredible display of human spirit, as a fan we can’t forget the incredible sacrifices they make when the fight ends. Bradley is keenly aware of the aftereffects, and when Kellerman asks if after his fight with Provodnikov he will go back to being a “smart boxer,” Bradley quickly replies that he understands that Marquez has a lot of power and he “can’t fight a dumb fight.”

While many will admire Bradley’s courage for his ability to remain standing in the midst of a brutal onslaught of punches, in his own way, he’s done something far more courageous by opening a small window to the world that often happens after the fight ends.

—Julie Gurner is a doctor of clinical psychology and public speaker on numerous topics. Her thoughts have been featured on some of the most prominent news outlets, such as NBC, Yahoo, and the Huffington Post. Feel free to chat with her on Twitter @drgurner or find out more about a talk or presentation she can do for your organization at http://www.drgurner.com/about

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

The Sweet Science

Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City

Published

3 hours ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Najee-Lopez-Steps-Up-in-Class-and-Wins-Impressively-at-Plant-City

Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his least three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).

Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.

In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.

The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.

Co-Feature

In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.

Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.

What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.

The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.

Also

In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).

A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, delivered the coup-de-gras, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim

Published

13 hours ago

January 24, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Japanese-Superstar-Naoya-Inoue-is-Headed-to-Vegas-after-KOing-Y-Joon-Kim

Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11^th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.

Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.

Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.

Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is the winner of the Feb. 2 match between Brandon Figueroa and Stephen Fulton. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa/Fulton have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.

Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”

Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.

Semi-wind-up

In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.

Also

In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!

Eric Priest Wins Handily on Thursday’s Golden Boy card at the Commerce Casino

Published

19 hours ago

January 24, 2025

David A. Avila

Eric-Priest-Wins-Handily-on-Thursday's-Golden-Boy-card-at-the-Commerce-Casino

Model turned fighter Eric Priest jabbed and jolted his way into the super middleweight rankings with a shutout decision win over veteran Tyler Howard on Thursday.

In his first main event Priest (15-0, 8 KOs) proved ready for contender status by defusing every attack Tennessee’s Howard (20-3, 11 KOs) could muster at Commerce Casino, the second fight in six days at the LA County venue.

All ticket monies collected on the Folden Boy Promotions card were contributed to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation as they battle wildfires sprouting all over Los Angeles County due to high winds.

Priest, 26, had never fought anyone near Howard’s caliber but used a ramrod jab to keep the veteran off-balance and unable to muster a forceful counter-attack. Round after round the Korean-American fighter pumped left jabs while circling his opposition.

Though hit with power shots, none seemed to faze Howard but his own blows were unable to put a dent in Priest. After 10 rounds of the same repetitive action all three judges scored the fight 100-90 for Priest who now wins a regional super middleweight title.

Priest also joins the top 15 rankings of the WBA organization.

In a fight between evenly matched middleweights, Jordan Panthen (11-0, 9 KOs) remained undefeated after 10 rounds versus DeAundre Pettus (12-4, 7 KOs). Though equally skilled, Panthen simply out-worked the South Caroliina fighter to win by unanimous decision. No knockdowns were scored.

Other Bouts

Grant Flores (8-0, 6 KOs) knocked out Costa Rica’s David Lobo Ramirez (17-4, 12 KOs) with two successive right uppercuts at 2:59 of the second round of the super welterweight fight.

Cayden Griffith (3-0, 3 KOs) used a left hook to the body to stop Mark Misiura at 1:43 of the second round in a super welterweight bout.

Jordan Fuentes (3-0) floored Brandon Badillo (0-3-1) in the third round and proceeded to win by decision after four rounds in a super bantamweight fight.

A super featherweight match saw Leonardo Sanchez (8-0) win by decision over Joseph Cruz Brown (10-12) after six rounds.

Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy

To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE

Post Views: 0

Share The Sweet Science experience!